She shook her head and hit delete. “So lame,” she thought, staring at the blank screen staring back at her. But then, everything in her life was lame. She felt flat and dull, like an old piece of foolscap, three holes punched. Browned with age, curling edges so wouldn’t lie or lay straight. Writing so faded only the odd word could be discerned. Meant to be discarded, crumbled, crumpled and tossed. No, kicked with top of toes upward towards the waste basket.

“Gotta kick the prompt writing habit,” she moaned, rocking and murmuring to herself.

Every day the same – prompts which prompted nothing. Yet, she was driven to look, to copy and paste. An addiction, a habit; soul-eating desire for a prompt fix. Aching need as powerful as any drug she’d been on. How she was getting her kicks; but just kicking into stale, musty air.

She’d kicked other habits: smoking; illicit drugs; morphine and oxycodone for pain; heavy alcohol consumption. But this was one hellish addiction that had tendrils and tentacles. Wrapped around her mind and spirit. She moved her fingers towards shutting down the damn machine, but . . .

“Each Monday (hey, that’s today!), I’ll present a new song title, and you come up with a post using it. Ping back to this post, so other’s can read! (if not wordpress user, provide link to your post in comments) It can be fiction/non-fiction, poetry, subject can be dark, serious or humorous – however many characters you want- just have fun with it! It doesn’t have to pertain to the song, whatsoever. The rules are…there are no Rules! (except using the title of the song part) Click here for song titles for other Manic Mondays.”

This week the she went back into the ‘60s and picked Paul Revere and the Raiders, “Kicks.” I like the go-go dancers, too, Sandy!

Real kick here. You left out “Kick Drum Heart” by the Avett Brothers. I loved the easy feel of this inner dialogue. I sometimes will write to the prompt, but it’s usually at a price: if I write to the prompt (that is, play nice nice with others) then they’ll come read me and then this is validation – existential poetic proof that I exist. Thank you, sweet Lorraine (I’m old enough to know/love that name and song)

Well well well – for a kick the prompt habit? LOL – and writing about not writing and writer’s block – ahahahaha – you totally blew this right out of the water!

Great writing. :D

Seriously.

Umm … how about – pick and choose – and stop pressuring yourself. Just pick and choose and let the prompts speak to you – or not. If it’s an effective tool – for creativity, then it’s a tool – a path or inroad that may allow you to just show up. It doesn’t have to be anything “more than that” – showing up.

Thanks — you should see my “pile of half-finished files,” lol. And, seriously, I get what you mean by letting the prompt speak and spark. I sometimes get the “speak,” but the “spark” is a flame up, a flare out. As elusive as a lightening bug — lighting me up one minute, the next leaving me in the dark. Not an excuse, just an observation.
The “word thief” does her job with me all too well.
It’s like my voice — I hate hearing the sound of my voice played back to me. It doesn’t sound at all like that in my head. Just as I can pronounce words in my head, but my verbal dyslexia twists them into hideous creatures.
Stories told and retold and rewritten and reimagined in my head, just never sound the same on paper. Not an excuse, honest, just an observation about the writer’s block I’m hacking (oops, bad choice of word!) away at.

I get it – not an excuse as you’ve noted, but an observation. Happens to me too. I like your lightning bug metaphor-analogy. And yeah, I’m laughing at the “unfinished pile” – mine’s like this massive heap! LOL – but then, sometimes, you wander into it, which is terrifying in itself, just for the sheer volume and potential of collapse, and find one line, a phrase or something, that suddenly ignites in a whole new way – and presto – something new comes of it – and finishes itself off!
No. No. I get it – not an excuse – it happens, probably to more people than we know – it can totally work itself out so well, in the head space, but then … the paper, or screen? Blah! WB – ugh – I’m self-blocking at the moment – so not a good thing :(
Damn (actually, I’d use a whole box of other swear words, but I’ll play politely) – I’m beyond three shades of dead ;)

Often times, I look at the Daily prompt and think – seriously? That word? What am I going to say about that.

So fun and I feel the same way about challenges. I blame my blogger pal, Sight11 – he made me try my first one and now, DANG IT… I can’t stop. Oh, look…it’s a challenge. NO…but wait…maybe…no, I can’t do that one…AND THEN…well… I’ll spend just a few moments.

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